CMP CEO Update: May 2025
May 30, 2025
I’m writing this over Memorial Day Weekend. I hope you all enjoyed the Holiday, the unofficial start to summer and most importantly reflected on those Service Members who made the ultimate sacrifice for our Country. In addition to Memorial Day, the country is about to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Army. Established on 14 June 1775 — more than a year before the Declaration of Independence — the U.S. Army has played a vital role in the growth and development of the American nation. Having spent most of my adult life in the Army, I believe this is an important milestone not only for Soldiers but for every American.
I’m providing this semi-annual update a little later than the normal schedule. With so many ongoing initiatives I wanted to get them complete and announced prior. We welcome the dialogue on the various press releases/posts these past several weeks and I hope you appreciate all we are doing to further our mission to promote marksmanship. For sure the CMP is moving out on a number of initiatives – we are not standing still! And I speak for all of CMP in saying that we very much appreciate our customers and competitors – you are loyal, committed and passionate and we love all of that!
With that, the following is a fairly comprehensive list of what we have happening in the CMP separated into three major topic areas of Sales, Programs, and the Talladega Marksmanship Park (TMP).
Sales:
M1911 Program: Much great news here to include the restart of the program in late Jan/early Feb, the transfer of 10,000 more pistols to the CMP from the Department of the Army this Spring and the Army’s concurrence to increase the lifetime M1911 sales limit from two to four.
After overwhelming (and much appreciated) sales of Round four of our surplus 1911 program, we are pleased to be accepting new orders, with over 4,000 already received! As announced in February, we have changed our 1911 sales process – no longer operating in “rounds” and adopting an updated online ordering system. All eligible US citizens are welcome to apply and orders will be processed on a first-in; first fulfilled basis. Again, the new limit is four M1911s per lifetime and you may purchase up to your lifetime limit with your order.
Another new initiative is our upcoming “in-person” M1911 sales opportunity. Over the history of this program, we’ve only sold M1911s through our mail order process. With all the previously highlighted M1911 program successes we’ve decided to set up three in-person sales events. These are in addition to the mail order program and these three one-day events will be held to coincide with the upcoming Talladega D-Day event and during the National Matches at Camp Perry in Ohio as follows:
Dates:
- Friday, June 6 – Anniston, Alabama (CMP M1911 Armory – Anniston)
- Tuesday, July 15 – Camp Perry, Ohio (Camp Perry OH – Exact location TBD)
- Saturday, August 2 – Camp Perry, Ohio (Camp Perry OH – Exact location TBD)
Each event will feature approximately 400 pistols – organized and displayed by grade (Service, Field, and Rack) and specialty categories. To manage and control these events we’ve established a ticket sales process. See https://thecmp.org/cmp-announces-three-limited-entry-1911-pistol-sales-events-for-summer-2025/ for more details. With the first in-person event coming soon we are working hard to make these a first-class, in-person experience for all ticket holding customers. The pistols set aside for these in-person sales represent a small fraction of our overall inventory. For those of you not able to attend one of these events, our mail order and auction site will still have all the inventory and variety you’d want and expect.
We’ve also just resumed M1911 sales on our Auction Site! Keep an eye out for a select few 1911s in the coming weeks, including a few “specialty categories” that will be highlighted. Visit https://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/guns-on-auction/ for more details. There’s actually a Union Switch and Signal M1911A1 on the auction site now and drawing much interest.
Learn more about our 1911 program on our website at https://thecmp.org/sales-and-service/1911-information/.
The M1 Garand by CMP: We are thrilled to announce this new program. In summary it is a commercial reproduction of the classic and historic rifle with a commercial forged receiver as its centerpiece. The forged receiver with a CMP serial number in the classic, historical font and format on the receiver heel makes this a unique offering. It will be paired with commercial barrels and a mix of other commercial and GI parts. Most will feature new stocks and barrels, but many complementary parts will remain GI. Initially produced in 30-06 and .308 variants (with more variants in the pipeline) you can expect to see it in our physical stores and the eStore this summer. For more information, please go to https://thecmp.org/introducing-the-m1-garand-by-cmp-a-new-chapter-begins/ and you can pre-order via the following link at https://thecmp.org/m1-pre-order-form/.
Reclaimed Rifle Sales:
We have also recently announced that we successfully embarked on an initiative to reclaim original M1 and Model 1903-A3 drill rifle receivers that were previously decommissioned and rendered inoperable – giving them new purpose and making them available to U.S. citizens as fully functioning firearms that are safe-to-use, collect and admire.
We did this as a way of responsibly returning tens of thousands of historic receivers to shooters and collectors, sustain rifle inventory and to avoid scrapping valuable artifacts.
With safety as a singular top priority, we’ve put each of our reclaimed rifles through rigorous programmatic and individual rifle testing to ensure they are as safe to shoot, and maybe safer, than any other rifle sold by the CMP. The CMP stands behind the quality and safety of these guns and is excited to be able to get them back in the hands of eligible US citizens.
For more on this, visit our website at https://thecmp.org/the-cmp-drill-rifle-initiative/.
Ammunition Sales:
We’re excited to announce a new collaboration with Creedmoor Sports! This ammunition, available only through the CMP, is engineered specifically for precision rifle competition and consistent, high-accuracy outputs.
The updated Creedmoor Ammunition lineup includes:
- .308 Winchester 167 Gr Lapua Scenar
- .30-06 Springfield 167 Gr Lapua Scenar
- .30-06 Springfield 150 Gr Berger OTM (Open Tip Match)
Loaded by Berger Ammunition, each round features Lapua’s superior brass and Vihtavuori’s clean-burning, temperature-stable powder. All three loads are safe for use in M1 Garand rifles and have been specifically developed with competitive shooters in mind. This ammunition will be on sale in our stores and eStore in the next few weeks.
We also have Eley Standard and Eley Club .22 for sale! Find all this and more through our eStore at https://shop.thecmp.org/browse/Ammo where you’ll also see a large number of other types of ammunition on sale across our product inventory.
M1 Special Sales/Custom Shop:
The Custom Shop has been distributing its Custom Shop (CS) Special M1 Rifle with great success. The rifle is meticulously handcrafted to be competition-ready, fully meeting all “As-Issued” CMP standards and assembled to perform as a one-to-two MOA (Minute of Angle) rifle. Learn more at https://thecmp.org/custom-shop/cs-special-rifle/.
For your maintenance, repair or customization needs, the Custom Shop remains in full service and is currently taking orders for your vintage U.S. Military rifles! All services are conducted by our expertly trained armorers. See full instructions on using the CMP Custom Shop at https://thecmp.org/custom-shop/.
CMP Auction:
The CMP Auction Site is available online for those enthusiasts in search of rare and unique finds. The site is free for users to register and bid on items, with 15 new items posted each week. Items go live every Monday at 12 a.m. central time and close (12 days later) the next Saturday at 12 a.m. central time.
In March, we were excited to offer M1C sniper rifles with sequential serial numbers, produced between December 1944 and January 1945. These rifles were in excellent condition and received over 90 bids – ultimately reaching a final sale of $13,601.
Auction is also going to begin to roll out some of the amazing parts inventory we acquired from an Army supply depot at Camp Stanley, TX. You’ll start to see this during the upcoming D-Day Matches, so be sure to keep an eye out for those items at that event!
As stated earlier in this article, don’t forget to check out our M1911 Pistols, which will again be offered through our Auction program.
From parts to equipment to books and more, you never know what you might see! View all the current listings at https://cmpauction.thecmp.org/.
Other Sales Opportunities:
As always, you may purchase items from our stores in Talladega, AL; Anniston, AL; Camp Perry, OH or through our online eStore. Find more information on these locations at https://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/cmp-stores/.
Programs:
National Match Enhancements:
As we’ve announced over the last few months, the CMP is excited to fully implement our eTargets for all rifle events at the 2025 National Matches! All Games and Trophy events (excluding the National Trophy Infantry Team “Rattle Battle” match) as well as educational clinics will be fired on our Kongsberg Target System (KTS) outdoor electronic target line. We’re also thrilled to say that with the addition of our rifle series, all phases of the National Matches except for Pistol are now held on electronic targets, which will speed up competition times and allow a more convenient experience for our guests and competitors.
As we mentioned in the last CEO Update, outside of competition, we’re looking forward to more social gatherings at the National Matches such as beach parties, movie nights and more.
National Match Warm-Up Events:
If you’re planning on attending our National Matches at Camp Perry in July/August (or even if you’re not), consider signing up for our Warm-Up events in June! Though these matches are designed as practice for the upcoming National Matches, anyone of any experience level is welcome to participate!
Warm-Up events include:
Long Range Rifle (two days of matches at 1,000 yards) – May 31 – June 1
Garand/Springfield/Vintage/Modern Military (GSMM) – June 28
Highpower Rifle (80 Shot, 3×600 Mid-Range, 30 Shot, EIC Rifle) – June 27-29
Register for the June Warm-Up Matches and learn more at https://thecmp.org/competitions/matches/camp-perry-matches/.
National Match First Shot Ceremony – 14 July 2025:
The First Shot Ceremony is the official kick-off and opening ceremony of the National Matches. The CMP is proud to announce that Staff Sergeant Sagen Maddalena will be our First Shot speaker and Shooter. Staff Sergeant Maddalena is a member of the US Army Marksmanship Unit and won a silver medal winner in the Women’s Three-Position Rifle Individual event at the Paris Olympics in 2024. This event at Camp Perry OH is open to the public – come join us!
Smallbore Postal:
This year, we were excited to host a nationwide Smallbore Rifle Postal that ran from January to April. We were overwhelmed with the nearly 280 individuals registered within the 3×20, Prone and Prone F-Class categories offered during the match. Final results are posted at https://thecmp.org/yang-burkert-lead-overall-during-cmps-2025-smallbore-rifle-postal/. Thank you to all who competed!
World Action Pistol Championship:
The CMP is excited to host a team at the 2025 NRA World Action Pistol Championships, held in Hamilton, New Zealand, this October. Team members include Sally Talbott, Benito Martinez, Joey Deleon, Bruce Piatt and Doug Koenig.
We were also thrilled to recently announce that we will be hosting the 2026 event! Partnered with Target Pistol Australia, the match will be held in Toowoomba, Australia, with CMP again sponsoring its own team. Members, who will each receive a sponsorship package, will be selected from scores at the Crawfish Cup, the Flagler Cup and the Bianchi Cup.
New Course of Fire for As-Issued, Military & Police Matches:
For the 2025 CMP As-Issued Pistol matches, the course of fire has been revised to include shorter firing times and magazine changes in an attempt to be more action-oriented – bringing the exposure times down from 5 minutes a string to 60, 50, 40 and 30 a string. We feel this will be beneficial to competitors and are looking forward to implementing the change at our upcoming Travel Games and Camp Perry National Matches.
Travel Games:
We’re are well in to our Travel Games national tour for 2025 – leading off with the Talladega Spring Classic held in March at our Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama. A record number of 340 individuals participated in the rifle and pistol competitions as well as the new two-person shotgun event offered at the Spring Classic.
Next, we sent our crew to North Carolina for the Eastern CMP Games in late April/early May with another large crowd of rifle and pistol competitors. Eastern Games included competitions and educational courses and even saw Mid/Long Range rifle events on the schedule. And then we were off to Missouri for the CMP Bianchi Cup Action Pistol match just prior to Memorial Day weekend.
Travel Games will continue around the country throughout the year – heading back to Talladega in June for our D-Day Matches, breaking for the National Matches in Ohio in July and August, followed by New England Games in September, Western Games in October and concluding back at Talladega for the Talladega 600 in November.
Our Travel Games events are perfect for those just beginning in marksmanship competition along with more experienced individuals, with a more leisurely setting and personal interactions with our trained CMP staff members. Learn more about our Travel Games and register at https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-travel-games-2/.
Sponsorships/Partnerships:
The CMP is actively expanding our sponsorships and partnerships in an effort to grow and spread our initiatives to an even broader audience as well as to support other industry businesses in their own efforts. If you have any suggestions of businesses or programs that may be interested in joining us in our mission, please contact us! Learn more about CMP Sponsorships at https://thecmp.org/sponsorship/.
Scholarships:
We are proud to announce that we’ve completed the selection process for CMP’s Scholarship Program! This year, we awarded over $300,000 in scholarships to high school seniors involved in marksmanship activities – in the form of $1,000, $3,000 and $5,000 one-time amounts along with select four-year recurring $5,000 scholarships ($20,000 total over four years).
Special thanks to the Garand Collectors Association, who presented four additional $5,000 John C. Garand Scholarships, while the family of Michael Thomas Randall contributed three $5,000 Michael T. Randall Memorial Scholarships.
The CMP recently established a fenced endowment to support our scholarship program and we are actively seeking more individuals and organizations to join with us to grow this important program. Participation can include one-year or multi-year contributions and can also include bequests/planned estate giving. What a great legacy opportunity! Please reach out to [email protected] if you have interest or questions.
In addition to the scholarships presented to marksmanship students, we were proud to provide scholarships to seniors local to our facilities in Ohio and Alabama, regardless of affiliation to the sport.
See a full list of 2025 CMP Scholarship Winners at https://thecmp.org/youth/cmp-scholarship-program/.
State Directors Conference:
In January, we welcomed 32 State Directors to Camp Perry for an inside look at current CMP initiatives through three days of demonstrations and presentations from our staff members. Those in attendance had the opportunity to tour the facility as well as view the world-class indoor electronic air gun range and Laser Shot simulators located within the building and even took part in an open coach’s clinic, led by members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. Thank you to all who attended.
The CMP currently utilizes 47 State Directors to provide leadership, coordination and resources for those interested in junior marksmanship activities. State Directors are always available to answer questions or to help you find opportunities in your area. View a list of our current State Directors, find contact information or apply to be a State Director at https://thecmp.org/training-tech/state-director/.
Competition Centers:
JROTC Nationals:
The 2025 JROTC National Three-Position Air Rifle Championship was held at our Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center in Port Clinton, Ohio, over the weekend of March 20-22. During the match, we welcomed 220 athletes from across the country who all qualified for Nationals after Postal and Regional rounds.
After the event, all competitors and guests took part in a formal awards ceremony at Kalahari Resorts in nearby Sandusky, featuring a DJ, music, concert lighting and other fantastic elements to celebrate the hard work of all involved. Read about the results from this event at https://thecmp.org/burrell-wells-earn-overall-titles-at-2025-jrotc-national-championship/.
CMP 3P Regionals:
Like the JROTC Three-Position event, the CMP 3P Regionals hosted junior athletes from across the country who qualified from a Postal round. We held Regional events at our Competition Centers in Ohio and Alabama as well as with our mobile electronic target range in Sandy, Utah. Top performers will now move on to the National competition in Ohio, set for June 19-21 for sporter and July 7-9 for precision.
Laser Shot Simulators:
Just a reminder that our indoor training simulators are still available at our Camp Perry, Anniston and Talladega Marksmanship Park facilities! The simulator software is programed with hundreds of virtual scenarios for training, competitions and entertainment events for shotgun, rifle and pistol.
This year, the CMP will again offer a Pistol Steel Challenge and a Rifle Steel Challenge, fired on the Laser Shot simulators assembled within Camp Perry’s Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center during the annual National Matches! This year we’ve added an exciting “Beat the Pro” event where you can win $500 cash! See more on our simulators at https://thecmp.org/ranges/cmp-competition-centers/indoor-marksmanship-simulator/.
Talladega Marksmanship Park: The TMP is a state of the art, five-star rated range and a beautiful place to compete, train or just do some recreational shooting. We are holding more competitions and more training and education events as described below. Make the trip and come on out – you won’t be disappointed!
World Police and Fire Games:
The CMP is excited to host a portion of the 2025 World Police & Fire Games, officially held in Birmingham June 27-July 6 at various venues. Our Talladega Marksmanship Park and Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center will be the site of such events as:
- Air Pistol
- Air Rifle
- Archery
- Biathlon
- Police Action Pistol
- Police Pistol Combat
- Rifle Large Bore
- Rifle Small Bore
- Shotgun
We’re honored to host men and women from around the world in this Olympic-style competition. These phases are open for public viewing at any time, so feel free to stop out to the park to witness this incredible event!
USA Shooting events:
We were also thrilled to recently host USA Shooting for the 2025 Rifle and Pistol National Junior Olympics, April 13-18, at the Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center in Anniston, AL, for air gun and at Talladega Marksmanship Park for smallbore. The event welcomed juniors who qualified from their performances at their State Junior Olympic competitions for Air Rifle and Air Pistol, Smallbore Rifle and Sport Pistol.
Likewise, we’ll also be hosting the 2025 USA Shooting Rifle and Pistol National Championships, June 9-17, again in Anniston and Talladega. The event will include smallbore, air rifle, air pistol, free pistol and sport pistol. Good luck to all those competing!
With the 2028 Olympics hosted by the United States in Los Angeles, the CMP is proud to host and support USA Shooting events and we hope to see some of these competitors on the podium in 2028.
World Speed Shooting Championship:
Talladega will also play host to the 2025 USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association) World Speed Shooting Championship, May 28-June 1. This prestigious event combines speed, accuracy and power across various challenging stages and is open to both new and experienced individuals.
Talladega D-Day:
We’re also getting ready to host our annual Talladega D-Day event at the park, set to be held June 5-8, 2025. The Talladega D-Day event celebrates the anniversary of the Allied Forces landing at Normandy Beach in France in 1944.
Besides our lineup of rifle and pistol events, we’re excited to bring back a special two-person team shotgun tournament on Talladega’s 15-station Sporting Clays Loop! We’ll also be bringing back the Garand Iron Man EIC Rifle Match, where competitors fire the Rifle National Match Course of Fire with either an As-Issued Garand or Service M1 Garand and earn EIC points towards the Distinguished Rifleman’s Badge.
For more information on Talladega D-Day, visit https://thecmp.org/cmp-matches/talladega-d-day-matches/.
Talladega Marksmanship Park Training Opportunities:
We’re happy to announce that we’ve set up a variety of training events at Talladega with the help of several partners, like GLOCK, Steyr Academy, Thunder Ranch and more. These events are open to the public, with the exception of Street Cop University, which is designed for continuing education for local Law Enforcement.
CMP is also implementing its own four-hour Concealed Carry Class, led by Talladega Marksmanship Park manager Bret Lankford, where students will learn gun handling techniques, safety, legal requirements and more.
Classes are led by industry professionals as well as decorated instructors – many of whom served in the military or law enforcement sectors.
Learn more about Talladega’s upcoming classes at https://thecmp.org/training-classes-at-talladega/.
Commercial Pistol Sales at Talladega:
As a reminder, the Pro Shop at Talladega is currently stocked with surplus military rifles, including the M1 and M1917 bolt action guns as well as ammunition for most every rifle and shotgun. The Pro Shop also continues to stock Tisas M1911s and Sig Sauer handguns, available for sale.
Other Talladega Events:
Don’t forget that Talladega holds monthly Shotgun, Archery, 3-Gun and other USPSA events! Also be on the lookout for the following clinics:
- Basic Handgun Classes, Rifle and Basic Shotgun Classes
- Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA) qualifications for our retired law enforcement community
- GLOCK Professional classes
- Steyr Academy training classes/courses
- Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Instructor Update classes
- Additionally, several local law enforcement agencies have used our facility for training and qualifications
View all upcoming events at Talladega and learn more about the park, including how to sign up for our regular educational clinics, at https://thecmp.org/ranges/talladega-marksmanship-park/.
I have signed on to the Custom Shop Special waitlist. I think the wait time is in years and not months. When my time comes there is no telling what the price of the rifle will be? or are we locked in to the $1,650 when we sign up? I am also trying to get to the Talladega store this weekend and see if the is a Custom Shop Special on the racks. If so I would let CMP know and remove me from the waitlist.
I see that you are getting back to a couple people about the chrome 1917’s, and would love to know as well. I just received mine and was shocked when I opened it and saw chrome. I went back and looked at the Field Grade description just to make sure I didn’t miss it. I probably would not have purchased it at the price listed if I knew that was a possibility. I have loved everything else from the CMP and always try and tell fellow vets about you and what you do. Please look into this to limit the number of surprised and/or unhappy customers. Thanks for your time and consideration.
Alvin — thank you for your comments. One of our staff members will reach out to you directly. Jerry
Please accept our apologies Mr. Wahl. We’ve attempted to reach out to you directly to rectify the issue and left the contact information for our Shipping Manager for you. The chrome rifle was shipped to you in error. Thank you for notifying us.
Concern and suggestion for your “Buy it Now” auctions. I am thrilled that you are offering this option for M1 Garand rifles. I do see an issue arising and and have a suggestion.
I believe that there will be some (most likely commercial entities) who will attempt to purchase their annual limit using this method as soon as it is started. This will negate your intended objective of allowing visual access to many CMP customers in distant locations.
I suggest that you limit “Buy it Now” transactions to ONE PER CALENDAR MONTH, at least initially. This will ensure more customers have an opportunity to use this method as intended while still allowing everyone the chance to purchase their CMP limit each year. If you find that restriction appears to hamper sales, you can change or lift it.
Leo — thank you for your note. We will for sure be instituting Buy-it-Now limits for all the reasons you state. We’ll announce what those are shortly. The announcement will also include the start date (spoiler alert — 17 July) and that products posted for Buy-it-Now sale will be posted on a predictable and consistent weekly basis. More details to follow shortly. Thanks again — Jerry
Gerry,
I have two comments.
1.The change to the as issued 45 match does not reflect the service of an as issued 45. The new “action” courses of fire have no history with as issued M1911A!. The previous course of fire was similar to the Qualification course I fired for a couple of decades. The M&P match as no historic track. I say return to the former course of fire for as issued .45 matches.
2. The second comment is in regard to the non responsive rules committee. changing/creating courses of fire should include a comment period from us the competitors. I asked a question as to why the Italian M1D’s were not authorized for the vintage sniper match. No response from anyone in the CMP chain. Just snide comments from some the forum members. Bright ideas to the cabal, might not sell well to the competitors. Open a conduit to ask a question and get an answer from an official source. Telling me to look at the rule book does not make it. By the way tweaks to rules is reasonable, changing courses of fire needs peer review.
Now for a comment about your guidance. Outstanding in a word. The improvements in operations at CMP is plainly obvious. Sales, match operations, innovations appear regularly. I participated in the in person .45 sales, well run, great event which allowed me to purchase a USMC .45. The restart of the Advanced maintenance course is another fine improvement. I have talked with you a few times and your friendly attention is appreciated by me. Drive on! Regards, John Cassady
Thanks John — I appreciate the vote of confidence. The CMP Staff is doing a fantastic job across the board and we’ve empowered them to drive change and improvements where appropriate.
On the first two issues — I’m going to take them off line from this stream as it will be easier for me to coordinate the answers.
I can give a bit of background on the CMP Rules Committee. It is a a Board-level Committee that consists of three board members with a number of advisors and our Director of Civilian Marksmanship – Emeritus (Gary Anderson) continues to play a large role. Also our high-power, pistol, small bore and air gun discipline managers are very involved. They are always a good entry point. But let me look into this more. More to follow and thank you again for your input.
Instead of blathering on about what a great job you’re doing and patting yourself on the back, how about fix the world’s most incommunicative organization. In this era of computers and technology, you stand out as one of the least customer responsive organizations I have ever been forced to endure. A customer can’t even get electronics acknowledgement of receipt of an order and any email to the CMP goes into a black hole. There is no excuse for this. Voice messages left on your phone system are ignored. Emails get no response. I sent requested information to CMP by email repeatedly without effect. This is the reality of the CMP. Now many of your sycophants and lackeys are going to lambaste me for picking on their sacred little organization, but they choose to deny its faults. The communication between customers and the CMP is a joke, but nobody’s laughing.
Larry – I actually do appreciate your candor. We are aware of this issue but it’s taken too long to rectify. We are a relatively small organization and the recent thousands of calls and emails have in fact overwhelmed our capacity to deal with them. That’s no excuse — we should be better and are striving for that.
I’ll reach out you directly via email to get more information from you.
Thank you — Jerry
Hi Gerald, Any chance we will see some U.S.G.I. 30.06 back in the E-Store anytime soon? I see the Carbine ammo has also left ,Will it be coming back or is it finished ? Sure would love to see some 1903,s come back to the E-Store are you all holding some back to release in the E-store at a later time once you have a substantial inventory of them by chance? Have a Great Day ! James
James — our inventory of surplus USGI ammunition is pretty diminished with the exception of .22. And it’s hard to predict if or when we’ll get more from the Army.
Concerning 1903s — we aren’t holding any back. However, we do expect to be selling “reclaimed” 1903/A3s about three months from now – in relatively large quantities. We’ll follow the same rigorous metallurgical and safety testing previously described and they will be graded accordingly. Also, more to follow soon on an adjusted approach for reclaimed rifles in a separate “CMP CEO Sends” post.
Gerald,
Loved the 1911 sales event this past Friday in Anniston. Wonderful visiting with you and all of the CMP staff working the event. It was also awesome getting to meet meet fellow visitors attending the event. Just a great time!!!
Thanks Randall — our goal was to provide a great experience to go hand-in-hand with the amazing selection of M1911s. The CMP M1911 staff get all the significant credit for the planning, rehearsal and stellar execution that underpinned this event.
What is the situation with the M1 en bloc 8 round clips? It doesnt seem that any company is manufacturing them. Do ypu know of a supply source? Heritage Arms? Will CMP be selling them soon?
Best wishes with your exciting new endeavors, and
Kind regards,
I love the CMP and the 1911 program. I always get excited when I see a Sales email from the CMP.
I am just curious, do you think the CMP wil ever get the old Beretta M9’s the military replaced with the P320’s?
Thanks
Broughton — I don’t think so. Right now the only handgun authorized for transfer is the M1911. The M9s would require a change in the law and I don’t see that forthcoming.
Mr Okeefe,
I’ve received a response that my FFL INFO is not complete.
This is something that I’ve provided on three (3) applications mailed overnight, once on the online form accepted for the June 6th event, and apparently twice online where the form would not accept my signature.
Please look into this and have someone call me.
I’ve left messages at least twice and I’m eager to get this resolved.
John Sikes
John — I believe our team at CMP M1911 has resolved this issue? All good? Thank you — Jerry
Thank you for all your hard work on behalf of all firearm enthusiasts and history buffs. Your emails are very informative, but they are much like drinking from a fire hose. Especially for those of us who don’t want to miss a thing. Might I suggest breaking them up into more emails with less content?
Michael — acknowledged. This for sure was a long one. Many of the topics were released in previously in separate press releases/posts but I still get your point., Thank you and we’ll do better – break these up in the future if necessary.
Although I appreciate everything CMP does to offer pistols, rifles and ammo to it’s member. I’m disappointed iin the fact that as a Massachusett resident and have both and license to carry and a collector’s license that I can not purchae a model 1911 for my collection. I was told that you were working on getting this issue rectified but have not heard of any progress made.
Michael — ahh the Great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. My home state (I hail from Medford MA).
We are still working this. We’ve got an external law firm assisting with this. As you know as a Federally-chartered entity and as a group of conscientious and law-abiding professionals the CMP must and will abide by Federal and State law. But we are pursuing this to see if our firearms legally qualify as “curios and relics” and to have that in writing from an authoritative source. Not sure of the timing but this has been working for some time so my sense is soon (ish).
Now about those Celtics . . .
Michael and All our Friends from MA — not good news on this front. We have a long legal opinion on why it is still not legal but the bottom line is:
Per Counsel:
The transfer of military surplus1911 pistols owned by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (“CMP 1911s”) to consumers in Massachusetts is still not legal. In order to legally sell handguns to consumers in Massachusetts, they must meet the requirements for BOTH the Massachusetts Approved Firearms Roster, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, §§ 123(18)-(21), 131 1/2, and 131 3/4; 501 Mass. Code Regs. §§ 7.00 et seq. (“Handgun Roster Law”), and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Handgun Safety Regulations, 940 Code Mass. Regs. §§ 16.01 et seq. (“AG Handgun Regulations”).
And it is the second piece of this – the stipulations in the AG Handgun Regulations that make the sale of the M1911 not legal in MA.
I was frankly a bit surprised by this as well. Sorry!
I disagree with recreating the M-1 Garand. Keep the “Legend” pure of counterfeits. There are still millions of M-1 Garands and M-1 Carbines in foreign countries although I hate the thought of negotiating to buy our weapons back. Many of them are just rusting/rotting away in some warehouses.
IMO reproductions take the history out of this great battle weapon. Otherwise it is just a hunk of metal and wood.
In a few decades, those of us geezers who fought/trained with the M-1, will be dust and the M-1 will go the way of the Enfield, etc.
Michael — I understand your concern but:
– the commercial M1s will be completely distinguishable from the original GI versions. The receiver heel markings will be very clear about that. Therefore I think the history and legacy of the original GI guns will remain intact and be just fine.
– we are still working with the US Gov’t on repatriating US M1s and/or carbines from overseas. This is a lengthy, complicated, diplomatic process. If we make any real progress we’ll of course let you all know.
– thank you for your service
Does CMP have any Trapdoor or earlier issue rifles in your vast warehouse? Fans of the older issue rifles would love to expand their collections earlier than the 30-40 Krag.
Sales are always in the East, you don’t care about people who live in the West.
Steve — Well . . . our current footprint evolved to what it is today for a variety of reasons but not caring about our competitors in other parts of the country is not one of them. We are looking at cost effective ways to rectify this — at least to some degree.
Glad to see CMP going to e-targets at nationals! I’m sure some purists out there won’t be happy but time for change. Our little club up here in Alaska we have seen our numbers increase since we went to e-targets. Let’s be honest pit duty does kind of suck. Will miss the animal crackers down in the pits on viale range. That’s the only thing I will miss about pit duty 😁
Thanks John — most feedback on this has been positive. We are looking forward to seeing how it goes this summer. And I’ll bet you can get your Animal Cracker fix another way!
If I wanted a pure timed event, I would do the glock shoots. Don’t get the last comment, must be an Army thing!
Rather than reclaim drill rifles, why not just pair a drill rifle with your new CMP receivers and criterion barrels. Reclaimed receivers will always carry a stigma no matter how carefully they are reclaimed. At least New receivers on a former drill rifle are what they are, and I bet they would be better received.
I absolutely am thrilled that the CMP is reclaiming M1 Garand drill receivers in order to preserve these historic rifles. HOWEVER, I am not at all happy with how these rifles are being sold. These rifles should NOT be mixed with non-reclaimed rifles and listed as “Service Grade”. They should be sold as their own “Reclaimed Service Grade”. As a collector, I can tell you that there IS a difference, and always will be a difference. This is a huge issue, especially on mail order sales which affects those of us who don’t live within a reasonable driving distance to any of your stores.
I do applaud your reclaim efforts but frown upon your lack of transparency in marketing.
You are totally right! Plus the price point should be lower than a field grade of the same manufacturer.
All — we’ve heard you and we’ll have an update out on this soon in terms of grading and transparency.
Price point however won’t change. While we’d love to do that — we have more invested in these guns than any other like model.
Truly amazing things are happening at the CMP!
Congratulations on all of your accomplishments!
Deborah — thank you very much. We appreciate your support.
It is good to see and participate in the positive marksmanship programs the CMP has put in place since taking the reins from the legacy DCM in 1996. And you have kept local, state and national training and competitions alive and thriving since NRA lost their way over the same period. The rapid scoring and posting of results, electronic targetry, competition centers and scholarships are exceptional. Keep it up!
John — thank you . We fully intend to keep it up.
Any thoughts as to a lower limit on government issue M1’s now that commercial models are available? It’s always upset me as to how many CMP Garands are being sold by opportunist at gun shows. These sellers misrepresent rifles as being things they’re not, sell them for much more than the CMP does, and generally profit from the CMP’s rifle sales. Lowering the number of GI rifles a person can purchase per year would help get them in the hands of people who appreciate them as a piece of history and not something to profit from.
Gerald:
South Dakota GF&P is planning to open a 400 acre public range north of Rapid City later this year. I have been told the CMP has been in touch with the people overseeing the project. As I (and others) would like to see the CMP have more of a presence in the northern plains, would you have any information/updates regarding the possibility of the CMP conducing matches at this location in the future?
Bob — no updates yet.
We did have a team visit and we are impressed with what’s happening in Rapid City. We also visited several other existing or planned ranges in the Western US to begin to assess partnership options. We are still considering all the options. Thank you
where or how do I purchase the original clip/mag for the 1911.
Any gun show. They aren’t expensive unless you want an original lanyard look mag.
They are all over flea pay.
As a young man in the US Army, I admired the weapons I trained with. The 1911 pistol was special, and I decided that someday I would own a genuine military 1911. Thanks to the CMP that dream has been realized. I now own a US&S, a Colt, a Remington-Rand, and an Ithaca. They’re all service grade or auction grade. Thank you CMP!
John – sounds like a great collection. Congrats and thank you.
While I appreciate the service that the CMP provides to the nation’s shooting community, the number of M1 rifles that the CMP allows a buyer to purchase should be limited to one or two in a life-time, not (12) per year. The tables of every gun show are littered with CMP rifles purchased by dealers for re-sale. The mission of the CMP is to promote marksmanship, not feed the retail market for GI surplus firearms. The huge volume of M1 rifles sold by the CMP to dealers has led to where we are now; a nearly exhausted inventory of GI-issue weapons and the need to manufacture new receivers.
Good comment!
You are right about dealer sales of Garands – just look at Gunbroker. I don’t think the lifetime max is a good idea for collectors.
I don’t know the answer to dealer sales but there are enough smart people out there that can come up with ideas.
At one time the CMP application to purchase rifles had wording that the purchase of the rifle was not for sale and was for personal use. This wording was taken out I think in the early 2000’s. The comment a the time was it became your personal property and could be resold.
Today the CMP prohibits the resale on 1911 pistols.
I agree totally!
Well said. I understand the selling of rifles is a means to an end for the CMP’s primary mission, so in the short term it’s a quick infusion of cash for them even if scalpers/resellers are buying loads of rifles.
But it’s a detriment for the long term. One thing that will spread and encourage marksmanship is for people to be able to purchase and shoot a legendary and historical rifle that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible if not for the CMP. Now with new commercial rifles on the horizon, the limits for historical rifles should be lowered.
Jim (and all others who responded to this particular message topic),
I think all of us in the CMP agree with you — in concept. We absolutely want to maximize the probability of our M1s staying with the original purchasing customer and thereby limiting what goes to and gets resold on the secondary market. Of course whether you buy one rifle or 12 in any given year once a buyer takes possession we can’t control that.
So why don’t we limit this more? As you no doubt saw in this post, we are aggressively pursuing our mission to promote marksmanship with a wide variety of programs and competitions. All this takes considerable resources. As we looked at previous year’s data it was clear that limiting the per person/year sales to the levels some of you mention wouldn’t produce the revenue to cover the costs in our other programs. With all the new programs hitting the street this year we’ll relook it again for Fiscal Year 2026. Thank you.
Thank you for that clarification. It’s a lot to have to balance.
Thank you and thank you to all the staff at the CMP for everything being done. It’s a very unique thing to promote marksmanship and fund it by connecting citizens with historical firearms. Here’s to hoping for many more decades of that success, especially as next year marks the 90th anniversary of adopting the M1, and the 250th anniversary of our independence!
I was approved for 1911 pistol purchase, lI was told I was sent an email in May 2025, which I did not receive. I sent CMP and email ask what the status of my application was 1June 25. June 3,2025 a woman called and told me that I had been approved. She said she would send me and email and I had 5 days to make purchase. I did not receive an email from the woman. She called from 256-770-4744, I tried to call that number left a voice mail. I tried a other number listed on the CMP website 256-835-8455 EXT 817, left a voice mail, no return call. On your website there is a place to send a message to CMP have CMP return calls.and I had not received and email. I did not receive the email and no one contacted me. I sent this for the last for days last week Tuesday thru Friday and no has contacted me. I STILL WANT TO PURCHASE A 1911 SURVICE GRADE AND 1 1911A1 SERVICE GRADE
Gerald:
I just want to say thanks to you and the staff at CMP for the dedicated effort to protect our precious rights through the sport of marksmanship and the appreciation of historical firearms.
Joe
Joseph — thank you. I appreciate the shout out to the CMP staff. I must say they work pretty tirelessly to provide all these great products and programs. I’m very proud of how much they accomplish!
The CMP has done and is doing many great things. I appreciate the update and the communication the CMP has always put out. When I hand an M1 to a new shooter or a student in a clinic, I tell them that they are holding a piece of history. The previous Logo means the same thing. As match director for my club’s rifle program, I have heard good and bad criticism over the years. I have never heard so many negative comments like I have on the Logo change. I have always said corporate America could take lessons from the CMP, especially on how to treat people. It now looks like the CMP is trying to take lessons from corporate America. I think it would be wise to return to the previous Logo. Like the rifles it represents a part of history. If it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it. Looking forward to nationals and the electronic targets.
George,
We did indeed receive quite a bit of negative feedback. This is my 25th year with CMP and I wear the seal (eagle) logo with pride. I’m sad to see that logo being replaced but with new leadership comes change (and change is hard sometimes). Hope to see you out on the Camp Perry ranges this summer!
Thanks,
Christine
George, thank you for your thoughtful comment and for all you do to carry on CMP’s mission in your local community. We deeply value the passion and loyalty of our longtime supporters — and we agree, the seal logo with the eagle is a meaningful symbol of our history, heritage, and values. That’s why we’re not retiring it. The seal remains a proud part of our brand and will continue to be used in many contexts, especially where tradition matters most — like at the ranges, on awards, and in our official communications.
The updated logo was developed as a complementary design for use on modern platforms and digital media, where the seal doesn’t always display well. Our aim is to preserve what makes CMP special, while also keeping it accessible and recognizable to the next generation of marksmanship enthusiasts.
We’re grateful for your respectful feedback and for the opportunity to continue honoring our past while preparing for the future. See you at Camp Perry!
Wish you would have included how the CMP returned a 1911a11 to the museum ship New Jersey. Old number 7 will now live on in a great location and purpose
Mike — you are right. This was definitely very cool. The M1911A1 in question (“Old Number 7”) was originally assigned to the Battleship USS New Jersey and presumably used by the Marine Detachment serving on the ship. They found the serial number of the M1911A1 in question and we were able to return the pistol to its original home. For those of you interested in learning more there’s a pretty good YouTube video. You can find it with a pretty straightforward Google search.
Thanks for this update. I am considering traveling to Anniston or Talladega for the activities next weekend. Is it possible to receive shotgun shooting instructions there? While proficient with a rifle I am a horrible wing shot with a shotgun, and have been subject to much ridicule at seasonal dove hunts all my life.
Unless I missed it, I didn’t see any mention of M1 Garand surplus rifle sales resuming? Service Grade, Field Grade, etc…..
Thanks.
Bill Murray
Bill — our surplus M1 sales are remain active. There’s been no stoppage there. That said, available grades are based on existing inventory and that does vary. Thank you.
I enjoyed reading the update and hope to participate in one or more of the upcoming events discussed here. Thank you CMP!
Randall — fantastic. We hope to see you at our events as well.
I am inpressed with all events and open opportunities that you all have. Well done!
Dennis — appreciate your comment and support.
Why are you selling chrome 1917’s along with all the others? You have numerous unhappy customers… they should be separated at much lower price
I hope they answer this and revise that policy. They have to know that including chromed rifles in the various grades without explicitly stating so is going to burn a lot of goodwill.
Historically they always kept those rifles separate and sold them in stores only. And even recently they included chromed Krags as their own grade.
But charging the price they do for a chance of a chromed 1917 doesn’t seem right.
Bob and Steve — let me look into this. More to follow shortly.
Bob and Steve — let me look into this. More to follow shortly.
Thank you. I am a big supporter of the CMP, but also got “burned” with a chrome 1917.
I am so grateful to the CMP giving me the opportunity to own a true piece of history with the M1 and 1911 sales programs. Is there any hope or plan that the M1A surplus rifles will ever be available thru the CMP?
Mike — thank you and we are proud to offer all we do both on the sales of historic surplus Army firearms and our many programs and competitions to promote marksmanship with an emphasis on safety and youth programs.
On the M1As . . . we are thinking the same way but certainly some things to overcome here. We’ll keep you informed should anything happen.
Hi
When will Garand surplus rifle sales be restocked on the different grades? Thanx